


Dance With Me

by demoncow97



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira just really loves his boyfriend, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Ryuji's atrocious dancing in Dancing in Starlight, M/M, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24568165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demoncow97/pseuds/demoncow97
Summary: “YOU SIGNED US UP FOR WHAT?!”Maybe Akira should have expected this reaction from Ryuji, but he had been hoping for some excitement, not horrified shock.“C’mon Ryuji, a dance competition will be fun.”
Relationships: Kurusu Akira & Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	Dance With Me

Spending the afternoon shopping in Shibuya was an everyday occurrence for Akira, as the need to stock up for both his everyday and Phantom Thief life was constant.

For the most part he could ignore the many vendors who stood on the street enthusiastically promoting their stores or handing out flyers. Out of politeness he’d accept any papers shoved his way, but the majority of them ended up in the trash anyways.

So, when some woman passed a flyer his way, he responded with a curt thank you before shoving the likely useless paper in his bag and making his way to the café to study.

It was only later that evening, plopping down on his bed after an extra long shift at Crossroads that he actually bothered to look at the paper. And seeing what the flyer was promoting gave Akira a great idea.

Or at least his exhausted and overworked brain told him it was a great idea.

***

“YOU SIGNED US UP FOR WHAT?!”

Maybe Akira should have expected this reaction from Ryuji, but he had been hoping for some excitement, not horrified shock.

“C’mon Ryuji, a dance competition will be fun.”

If possible, Ryuji’s wide eyes looked even more shocked. “Dude I don’t think you understand what a bad idea this is.”

Just the visual in Akira’s brain of Ryuji dancing with him was enough assurance that this idea was in fact a stroke of genius. It would just take a small push to get Ryuji on board.

“You trust me, don’t you? And besides, I don’t have bad ideas,” Akira said.

Ryuji groaned at that. “Okay first, don’t guilt me like that, you know I trust you more than anyone else--” Akira definitely blushed at that “--Two, do you even remember the horror that was you taking the 2am Big Bang Burger challenge last week--” Sadly Akira’s stomach will not let him forget that traumatic event. “--And lastly, we’re not dancers!”

“It’s just an amateur event so there’s no pressure,” Akira countered.

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never danced before!”

“Then how do you know you’ll be bad at it?”

Ryuji opened his mouth to retort again, but no argument came in time before Akira hit the blonde with his finishing blow.

“Would you do it for me?”

This caused Ryuji to release an even more overexaggerated groan of displeasure, marking Akira’s victory. Akira still tried not to smile before Ryuji verbally agreed though.

“Fine, but when we look like idiots in front of everyone it’s gonna be your fault,” Ryuji hung his head. “Oh, and you owe me like the most expensive bowl of ramen you can find!”

Akira leaned in and gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips.

“How could we lose? We’re the ultimate partners, right?” Akira assured.

And he believed his words. He himself had a little prior experience and had at least mastered a few spins and kicks. He could be pretty graceful on the dance floor and paired with Ryuji’s likely more forceful movements it would be a winning combo.

Ryuji looked uncertain for a moment before flashing a bright smile. “You’re right dude! Together we got this!”

***

They most certainly did not ‘ _got this_.’

It’d been almost a week since Akira had signed them up for the competition, and therefore almost a week of dance practices with Ryuji with zero progress.

If Akira were to describe Ryuji’s dancing, it would be… energetic.

No, there wasn’t even a way to sugar-coat it, Ryuji was straight up terrible at dancing.

The first day Akira had held onto some hope that this was new, and that Ryuji would improve as they went on. But six days later and absolutely nothing had changed.

Ryuji wasn’t on beat most of the time and his actual dance moves consisted almost purely of random arm movements or popular internet dances. It was endearing to an extent (to be fair everything Ryuji did was endearing), but there was only so much running man Akira could take.

They’d tried to formulate some sort of choreography, but Ryuji more often than not would forget and start improvising with his own moves. Akira tried again and again to provide advice and suggestions, but they somehow only seemed to make things worse. He wasn’t frustrated or anything of the sort, but more in a state of disbelief of just how bad Ryuji was. It was honestly impressive sometimes.

The one glimmer in the otherwise cringe inducing dance practices was that Ryuji seemed to be having a good time, and mostly unaware of the extent to which he couldn’t dance. When he’d mess up, Ryuji would laugh it off or just psyche himself up for the next round. This was the only reason Akira hadn’t pulled them out of the competition, because seeing Ryuji happy was at the top of Akira’s favourite things list.

But if at all possible, Akira was determined to find a way for them to put on a fun performance that wasn’t too painful to watch. It wasn’t that he cared about what people thought, and more that any advice for improving Ryuji’s horrific dancing would be welcome.

Which was why he had called together a last-minute Phantom Thieves meeting. Minus Ryuji of course.

Everyone sitting around the usual meeting table in Leblanc’s attic looked somewhat anxious. Akira calling an emergency meeting out of nowhere was pretty unusual so he supposed he could see why they would be worried. But this was important okay!

“I appreciate everyone coming today. I have gathered you all to discuss a matter of great importance,” Akira began, getting everyone’s attention immediately.

Well everyone but Morgana who simply rolled his eyes. Akira may have already brought up this topic to his cat roommate a few days ago, but Morgana had not provided much in terms of support.

“Not to interject, but I have noticed that Ryuji is not among us today,” Yusuke pointed out what most of the thieves were already thinking.

“You are absolutely correct Yusuke. Our meeting today is about Ryuji actually, and therefore has been kept a secret from him,” Akira explained, pacing the attic room as he did so.

“Is he okay?” “What did he do this time?” Haru and Ann asked simultaneously.

There were five concerned pairs of eyes looking to Akira expectedly. He inhaled deeply as he paused, creating some added tension.

“Well you see… I signed Ryuji and I up for a dance competition,” Akira admitted, as if that would explain everything.

The reactions across the group were varied. Makoto looked unimpressed by the dramatics, Yusuke looked puzzled, Haru looked relieved, Futaba snickered, and Ann full body laughed at the reveal.

It took a moment for everyone to collect themselves, not really knowing what to do with this information. Makoto was the first to speak up.

“So, this big emergency meeting that I left student council duties early for is…?”

“I have learned that Ryuji is the worst dancer known to man, and I need help,” Akira replied, expression completely serious.

There was another brief pause before the room exploded.

“Of course he’s terrible, what were you thinking?!” Ann questioned loudly.

“I’m afraid I cannot imagine Ryuji dancing with much grace,” Yusuke nodded to himself.

“I’ve seen him nae nae once and even that was pretty low level,” Futaba added.

Akira would be offended by the bashing of his boyfriend’s dancing skills if they weren’t one hundred percent true.

“We need to have a serious talk about what counts as emergency meeting material,” Makoto said. “You’re going to give us a heart-attack one of these days.”

“You haven’t seen Ryuji dance. Trust me, this is a valid reason.”

Makoto still didn’t look convinced, but some of the others nodded as if they could imagine the horrors Akira had been forced to witness.

“Why a dance competition?” Haru asked curiously.

For a moment Akira tried to think of a justification about dancing helping one’s charm and proficiency, but then decided just to answer honestly.

“I thought it’d be fun… and that I’d get a chance to see Ryuji look extra cool.”

Makoto’s head was in her hands where she was asking herself what she did to deserve this, while the others groaned. Ann’s exasperation rung out over the rest.

“Akira, we all love Ryuji, and we know you see him through some special Ryuji-tinted glasses, but that boy is not cool,” Ann patted Akira’s shoulder as if comforting him through the news.

Well they were wrong, but Akira wasn’t going to get into this argument today. He had many Ryuji loving speeches saved up for occasions like this, but there was no time.

“How would one even procure a type of glass that is ‘Ryuji-tinted?’,” Yusuke pondered.

Makoto cleared her throat in the way that meant they were getting off topic.

“So how exactly do you want us to help with this issue?” she asked.

Akira opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came to mind. It wasn’t like he thought any of them would have a real solution, in fact the only ones he could actually imagine dancing at an average level would be Haru and maybe Ann. And even then, it’s not like Ryuji would ever pull off any ballet moves Haru showed him anyways.

Ryuji’s dancing had put Akira through the five stages of grief this week, and in this moment, he had finally reached acceptance.

There was no improving Ryuji’s moves, just accepting what they were and having a good time regardless. So then there was only one real thing to ask for, Akira supposed.

“I need all of your support,” Akira responded with a firm nod of his head. “Will you all come watch the competition this weekend?”

If anyone could support Akira and his boyfriend looking like idiots in front of a bunch of people, it was the phantom thieves.

“Of course we’ll come,” Haru assured, a big smile on her face.

“I could never miss out on this kind of blackmail material!” Ann cheered teasingly, a cheeky looking Futaba giving her a high five.

“I’m sure I’ll find something of artistic value there,” Yusuke said more to himself than to Akira.

Makoto and Morgana rolled their eyes, most likely at Akira’s dramatics, but agreed as well.

At least with a group of friends as lovable and embarrassing as them, Akira wouldn’t have time to be embarrassed at Ryuji’s impromptu air guitar. Who was he kidding, it was part of why he loved them all.

Besides, if they could change the hearts of criminals and bring injustice to light, then they could get through Ryuji’s dance moves…

Hopefully.

***

The venue for the competition was more impressive than Akira thought it would be. The outdoor stage on the outskirts of Shibuya was well kept, but definitely more for amateur use. The place wasn’t packed by any means but there were a fair number of people, both competitors and spectators preparing for the performances.

They had been called to wait backstage while the final preparations were being made. Ryuji tapped his foot nervously from where he stood next to Akira. And it wasn’t just Ryuji giving off nervous energy, the other amateur dancers seemed to radiate stress to varying degrees as well.

Akira wasn’t going to say anything but even he was starting to feel a little tense in this stressful atmosphere. It was impossible not to when the girls next to him looked ready to burst into tears.

As if sensing the tiniest of Akira’s anxieties, Ryuji put a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Well dude, ready to kick some ass?” Ryuji asked, lightening the mood.

Akira laughed. “I don’t think our competition will know what hit them.”

That much was true.

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji agreed excitedly. “Let’s give it our all!”

Akira smiled at the pure enthusiasm radiating from his boyfriend.

Yup this whole thing was definitely a good idea after all.

“Think we got a chance at winnin’ this thing?” Ryuji asked in a hushed voice (or as hushed as things got for Ryuji), looking around at the others in the waiting area.

Odds were higher of Yusuke never painting again, but Akira wasn’t going to put it like that.

Luckily, Akira was saved of having to tell Ryuji they stood no chance by a loud voice.

“Could I please get the Heart Stealer duo to the stage?” a bored volunteer organizer called.

Ryuji shot Akira an unimpressed face.

“And people say I’m the one who’s gonna get us caught,” Ryuji said.

Akira responded with a kiss to Ryuji’s lips. He could feel Ryuji’s face morph into an embarrassed smile at the touch, which only made it harder to pull away.

“It’s showtime,” Akira said against Ryuji’s lips, before pulling his boyfriend with him up to the designated area.

They made their way onto the stage where Akira, and Ryuji as well based on the “what the hell” he muttered, noticed the rest of the crew occupying the entire front row. They were clapping loudly at Akira and Ryuji’s arrival, getting a few looks from the other audience members. Akira shot them a thumbs up as he got into position, which everyone but Morgana (as he did not have thumbs) returned.

There was a brief pause before the music started, giving Akira enough time to see Futaba distribute some glowsticks to the rest of his friends.

With the first beat of the music Akira was ready, arms moving with grace before getting into some more complicated spins. His movements felt more precise and fluid than in practice. He was focused enough that the crowd had mostly disappeared from his mind.

It was just Akira, Ryuji, and the music.

Ryuji movements were as disjointed as ever, but when his gaze met Akira’s from across the stage Akira couldn’t help but think of how amazing he was. It almost made it hard to look away from Ryuji. Though whether that was because watching Ryuji was like watching a car crash, or whether Akira just liked watching his boyfriend was up for debate.

Akira continued with the choreography, his own movements synching up with Ryuji for a moment. But the moment didn’t last too long, as Ryuji stumbled over himself slightly, which seemed to throw him off enough to miss his next move and replace it with the sprinkler.

Ryuji only looked slightly put off by this though, determination on his face rather than embarrassment.

Akira thought he heard his friends cheer, but he was too focused on the music to be sure. They were moving into the last part of the performance, and if there was one thing he and Ryuji had practiced it was the ending.

After all, an impressive finale might make up for… well everything else.

So as the chorus replayed for the final time, Ryuji met Akira’s eyes and nodded before making his way to the center of the stage. Ryuji knelt and clasped his hands together in preparation. Akira gave one last spin before running towards Ryuji, stepping onto his clasped grip and getting hoisted up in the air.

They pulled the move off smoothly and Akira landed cleanly, pulling a final pose next to Ryuji before it was over.

Akira panted as the music faded away, Ryuji also short of breath at his side.

Any awkward or pity claps were drowned out by the rest of the phantom thieves in the front row who were on their feet. Ann wolf whistled while Yusuke clapped lightly. Makoto and Haru were still waving the glowsticks around just as Futaba finished filming on her phone.

Shooting them a grateful smile, Akira took a final bow before exiting the stage.

As soon as they were clear of the area, Ryuji had a hand up which Akira gladly high-fived. Even though Akira was wearing gloves, he could feel the sweat on Ryuji’s hands through the contact.

“We did it dude!” Ryuji celebrated. “I screwed up a few times, but I don’t think anyone noticed.”

Akira was sure people noticed, but it didn’t really matter.

“You did great Ryuji. Thanks for doing this with me,” Akira said genuinely.

Ryuji gave a small laugh at the sincerity. Akira knew it was because he wasn’t used to compliments yet, even with the vast number Akira sent his way.

“Well I think you could have done better with someone else,” Ryuji admitted. “I’m still glad you chose me though.”

Akira took a step forward, cupping Ryuji’s face with both his hands.

“I’ll always choose you,” Akira said seriously, making Ryuji’s already sweaty face turn red.

“What have we said about being all sappy in public?!” a voice came from behind them.

Ryuji whipped around, face the colour of Joker’s gloves, and groaned.

“You guys!” Ryuji yelled in surprise, despite the fact that he’d seen them in the audience. “Why are you all here?!”

“We came as your supportive friends,” Ann replied in fake indignation. “Didn’t you hear us cheering?”

“Of course we did! You were impossible not to hear,” Ryuji said, trying to hide the smile on his face.

“Ryuji, why would you call yourselves the Heart Stealer’s? Do you want people to figure us out?” Morgana complained, jumping out of Haru’s arms.

“I didn’t come up with the name, ‘Kira did.”

Morgana looked at Akira in disbelief. Akira just shrugged.

“You two looked like you had a lot of fun,” Haru said cheerily, clapping her hands together.

“Yeah! And I’m gonna post the whole thing online!” Futaba cheered.

Looking horrified, Ryuji went up to Futaba demanding he let her see first, to which she begrudgingly obliged.

It was then that Ann and Makoto approached Akira and began to speak in a hushed tone.

“He was even worse than I thought,” Ann said, giving Akira a supportive shoulder pat. “I don’t know how you put up with that all week, I could hardly manage to watch the whole thing without cringing.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Makoto attempted to assuage the words. “It was just very… Ryuji.”

The three of them began to laugh at that, only to be interrupted by Ryuji.

“HOW COME YOU DIDN’T TELL ME HOW BAD I WAS?!?”

Ryuji was storming over his way, no real anger on his face, but he put Akira in a headlock anyways.

“AND YOU LOOK LIKE A FREAKIN’ PRO!” Ryuji continued, releasing Akira. “That ain’t fair dude!”

Akira chuckled before he spoke.

“I guess we’ll just have to practice more next time.”

As Ryuji sputtered about how he wasn’t going to do it again, and the others groaned knowing no amount of practice would fix Ryuji’s special brand of dancing, Akira felt the buzz of his phone alerting him that Futaba had sent him the video of their performance.

Akira smirked and pressed play.

Yup, this had totally been a good idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Is this my second pegoryu fic with them dancing? Maybe...  
> Royal is just giving me an excuse to write more for my fave bois, so this was a blast!
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed!


End file.
